Venlafaxine vs imipramine, sertraline in treating depression / 中国新药与临床杂志

ABSTRACT

AIM: To study the clinical efficacy and safety of venlafaxine in the treatment of depression.　METHODS: One hundred and thirty-one patients with depression were randomly divided into 3 groups: venlafaxine group of 43 patients (M23, F20; age 39 a± s 12 a) was treated with venlafaxine, 25-100 mg, po, bid for 6 wk; imipramine group of 43 patients (M 21, F 22; age 38 a±11 a) was treated with imipramine, 25-75 mg,po, bid for 6 wk; sertraline group of 45 patients (M 25, F 20; age 40 a±12 a) was treated with sertraline, 50-100 mg, po, qd for 6 wk.　RESULTS: The total clinical effective retes were 88% for venlafaxine group, 91% for imipramine group and 89% for sertraline group (P>0.05). The adverse reactions in venlafaxine group were lower than that in imipramine group, but were higher than that in sertraline group.　CONCLUSION: Venlafaxine is a safe and effective drug for treatment of depression.